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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — a series
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com